The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-08-04
MEMPHIs DAILY APPEAL. THURSDAY AUGUST 4, 1857.
CATHOLIC COAVGNfION.
EXPEDIENCY or CALLING 1T
CLEARLY SEEN.
Great Dissatisfaction Exists Among
the Priests aud the People
Of the Church,

Nh" i"hhg Aukuot IN hoIhlu TO-
porter visited several German Catholic
clergymen of this city last evening for
the purpose Of obtaining their views
regarding the proposed German
American convention at Chicago next
month. Nearly all professed entire
ignorance on the subject matter of
the Chicago dispatch, but admitted
that they heard from time to time re-
ports OF dissatisfaction among the
priests and people OF German nation
atty residing In the West relative TO
the appointments OF Irish bishops 10
teys where the majority Of the faith
inl were Germans.
0ne prominent German Catholic
rector Of German parish who was
adverse TO the publication Of his name,
"inr obvious reasons" as he remarked,
eaid: From my own personal oh.
servations, and knowledge obtained
by several journeys through the West
ern States, l can essily understand
hev II IL that my fellow countrymtn
there should think Ii expedlent to
call his convention. We have but
very small minority In the hierarchy
OF America, wholly out OF proportion
to the number OF German Catholics
Take the great State Of Ohio, for In.
stance, with It's vast number OF Gar
mans attending the Catholic churches,
aud ray whether you think II Just that
Irish and Scotch bishops a one should
rule over them. BY all means, a Ger.
man should have been appointed
bishop OF Cincinnati, Instead VI Arch.
bishop Il der, whooe sympathies are
with his Irish people altogether. Then
Chicago, st. Louis, Dubuque, Indian
apolis, Peoria, Pittsburg aud other
dioc SEES that l might mention, ought
by right TO have German ordinaries.
Remember that our German priests
are not sctuated by any personal or
eelhah feeling In this matter.
Rather Il 10 with them q seri.
Gus matter OF conscience;
for We have found that where Irish
priests have been appointed to Ger.
man or partly German parishes, they
have systematically ignored our Ger.
man people, and as a eonst queIce the
Ia ter have bscome disgusled and
eventually stopped going to mass at
all. The result has beso that children
have fallen away from the church,
mixed marriages have become lament.
ably frequent, and gradually our Ger
IN al people have been drifting toward
iDndelity, or-what / regard as bad
prOtestan ism.
"Ths Germans also believe In paro-
chial schools, where one Of the studies
m nst be that OF German. They want
their children taught the Language OF
their ancestors, and the German
priests agree with them that this IL q
most important subject, Tor We know
by experience that where our German
children attend the poblic schools and
study Eoglish only they soon become
ashamed Of thsir nationality aud want
10 become even more American than
Americans Themselves"
"Blt, father" said the reporter,
care thess grievances c,ndaed to the
West, and have you In the Eastern
States nothing TO complain oip
swell" replied he priest, IL do not
want to speak OF things here, a. do
not care 10 have the Irish episcopfis,
which almost without exception holds
sway over the Eaeiern dioce,ee, think
that We are disAfiected. for, In that
event, they would simply unts TO
crush us. Bat am free TO say that
the Germsns h We no proper recosni.
ton In any diocese. Look al New
York. The Afohbishop and his Two
vicars-gei Q al are English speaking
persons, two OF them Irish. In pitts.
d,lpha the Archbishop and his tao
vlcsTs arc Ifishmen, coming from the
sans d. cess H. The old country, Wa
teri1rd. The arohiepiscopsl sees Of
Baltimore aud Boston are similarly
fixed with Irish iunctionsries, AID the
German speaking priests aud people
are wholly ignored. tell you these
things must be femedish, or you may
count the next generation OF Germans
out OF tho Catholic Cnurch. ! hail
with delight the determine Ion 10 hold
this Chicago convention, aud l augur
the pts, results from II"